The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa, Volume 3 eBook

“Thus, O chief of Kuru’s race, this universe
was started into birth by the high-souled Krishna.
That observer of all the worlds, viz., the celestial
Rishi Narada, has said that Krishna is the Supreme
God.[710] Even Narada, O king, admits the supremacy
of Krishna and his eternity, O mighty-armed chief
of Bharata’s race.[711] Thus, O mighty-armed
one, is Kesava of unvanquishable prowess. That
lotus-eyed one, is not a mere man. He is inconceivable.’”

SECTION CCVIII

“Yudhishthira asked, ’Who were the first
Prajapatis, O bull of Bharata’s race? What
highly-blessed Rishis are there in existence and on
which points of the compass do each of them dwell?’

“Bhishma said., ’Hear me, O chief of the
Bharatas, about what thou askest me. I shall
tell thee who the Prajapatis were and what Rishis are
mentioned as dwelling on which point of the horizon.
There was at first one Eternal, Divine, and Self-born
Brahman. The Self-born Brahman begat seven illustrious
sons. They were Marichi, Atri, Angiras, Pulastya,
Pulaha, Kratu, and the highly-blessed Vasishtha who
was equal to the Self-born himself. These seven
sons have been mentioned in the Puranas as seven Brahmanas.
I shall now mention all the Prajapatis who came after
these. In Atri’s race was born the eternal
and divine Varhi the ancient, who had penances for
his origin. From Varhi the ancient sprang the
ten Prachetasas. The ten Prachetasas had one
son between them, viz., the Prajapati called
by the name of Daksha. This last has two names
in the world, viz., Daksha and Kasyapa.
Marichi had one son called Kasyapa. This last
also has two names. Some call him Arishtanemi,
and some Kasyapa. Atri had another son born of
his lions, viz., the handsome and princely Soma
of great energy. He performed penances for a thousand
celestial Yugas. The divine Aryaman and they
who were born unto him as his sons, O monarch, have
been described as setters of commands, and creators
of all creatures. Sasavindu had ten thousand
wives. Upon each of them their lord begat a thousand
sons, and so the tale reached ten hundred thousands.
Those sons refused to call anybody else save themselves
as Prajapatis. The ancient Brahmanas bestowed
an appellation on the creatures of the world, derived
from Sasavindu. That extensive race of the Prajapati
Sasavindu became in time the progenitor of the Vrishni
race. These that I have mentioned are noted as
the illustrious Prajapatis. After this, I shall
mention the deities that are the lords of the three
worlds. Bhaga, Ansa, Aryyaman, Mitra, Varna,
Savitri, Dhatri, Vivaswat of great might, Tvashtri,
Pushan, Indra, and Vishnu known as the twelfth,—­these
are the twelve Adityas, all sprung from Kasyapa.
Nasatya and Dasra are mentioned as the two Aswins.
These two are the sons of the illustrious Martanda,
the eighth in the above tale. These were called
first the gods and the two classes of Pitris.